Content marketing and how to be top of the blogs
Blogging styles are constantly evolving and you need to keep up with the latest trends. Nelly Berova, lists the latest.
While the art of creating valuable written content in the form of blogs may feel safe from the changing whims of other social media channels, nothing could be further from the truth. Blogging, like every other aspect of the digital world, needs to move with the times to be relevant, as the expectations of your target audience change. With this in mind, we’re going to look at five blogging trends that estate agents can use in 2023 to keep their customers interested and even capture new leads.
1 Custom graphics
Bespoke infographics that add weight to your written content are becoming increasingly relevant and necessary. With the availability of design tools like Canva, it is pretty easy to create your own eye-catching graphics to illustrate a point, especially where data is concerned.
The beauty of using custom graphics, is that they reinforce the message in your blog in a visual way – catching the attention of people who don’t have time to read the full piece. You can also use them as stand-alone content on your social feeds and newsletters; you may even see them being shared on by local media or other organisations, boosting your credibility.
2 Interactive content
Content is always more powerful if it can generate a two-way conversation. Mortgage or Stamp Duty calculators and interactive pop-ups, inviting the casual visitor to engage with you, are good examples of this.
Blogging needs to move with the times to be relevant.
In addition, quizzes are an increasingly popular way of injecting fun and engagement into your blog. So, instead of writing another article on landlord responsibilities, you might present it in quizzical form. Make it tricky, then give your reader the chance to download a guide with all the answers – in return for signing up to your newsletter. Alternatively, go for something a bit more light-hearted – what type of home buyer are you, for example.
3 Legitimacy
We all know that blogging has come a long way since the days of meaningless blurb stuffed with keywords. Quality copy that answers audience search terms with useful, interesting and readable content has been a necessary part of blogging for a while. Now, however, things are going further with an even stronger requirement to show what is called legitimacy. This means ensuring that your content has a strong educational element – that everything you write is accurate, specific to your audience and actionable. Do this by showing professional authority in your tone, always using your own experience or credible sources and giving relatable examples, where possible.
4 Original data
Data-driven blogs are some of the most interesting and sharable out there. As an estate agent, you have a wealth of data at your fingertips from your own sales and letting figures. Think of ways of using this in your blogs and you’re on your way to becoming a local thought leader. Other ways of harvesting data include running surveys or polls. If these bring up interesting results, they are the great basis for a truly original piece of content. Google forms is an incredibly useful free tool for creating surveys easily and quickly yourself.
If you don’t believe all of this works, just look at the property industry news sites – a huge proportion of stories started out with a poll or data of some kind. You can’t always get hold of original data, so supplement it with published third-party stats from authoritative sources – the Office for National Statistics or the property portals, for example.
5 Unique topics
In such a crowded space as the internet, originality really is key, and this goes for the topics you choose to write about too. Since you began blogging, you’ve probably noticed just how many property businesses are creating content about the big, evergreen subjects such as sprucing up your home or finding tenants.
To bring some variety, go back to basics, looking at your ideal buyer persona and getting to grips with the things that concern them. In a vastly changing property landscape, these will have changed over the past six months so think again about their needs and wants, before creating content that resonates.
Look, in particular at niche audiences who make up your market and the issues that concern them. Then, as we’ve said before, back this up with original data, authoritative quotes and accurate information – and you’re onto a definite winner.
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